Learn How to Feel
by Lovely Rain Dancer
Summary: Keiko Shinkokuna has two, very dark secrets... With the Ryoka invading Soul Society, will she manage to keep them that way AND survive? Nothing is sure... This is NOT a romance. Please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Keiko Shinkokuna was never a girly type of person. She was more of a serious, hard-working one. Even her name said so… She always expected the best from herself, and her most recent achievement had been to enter the 11th Division of the 13 Court Guard Squads. She had always wanted to be close to Kenpachi Zaraki, her idol. He was always so strong, but kind at the same time, keeping Yachiru in the best environment possible. So, she had decided to enter the squad, managing her way till everyone judged her the best for the seat she had wanted, the 4th seat. She could have gone much higher of course, but it had been the only spot that wouldn't have destroyed the harmony of that place; and she wanted to be the least annoying possible. As always, she achieved her goals, and ended up in the fight happy squad, even though she didn't seem much like the violent type. She knew that, and also knew she didn't fit in, but made no particular efforts. After all she had done to get that spot, she wouldn't ruin it all just for the love of war. If her true personality came out, it would be a catastrophe.

She paced down the streets of the Seireitei, holding a bundle of paperwork. In all the high ranking officers of her squad, Keiko was the only serious one. So she was the one all the papers fell upon. She sighed and shifted the weight on her other foot. She could have flash-stepped there, but all the important files would be blown away. She finally arrived at the Squad 6 barracks, where Captain Kuchiki was expecting the reports. She hurried to the office she had been directed to and knocked. A low calm voice sounded inside the room:

"Come in."

Balancing the humungous pile on one arm, she slid the door open with the other. Byakuya Kuchiki-taicho barely looked up from his work as he gestured towards a corner of his desk.

"You can put it there, 4th seat Shinkokuna."

Keiko did as he asked ab exited quickly. As she was returning towards her squad barracks, she heard yelling and banging. She gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto tightly and flash-stepped to the door. She lowered her spirit energy till it was unnoticeable then slid through the door. She was greeted by a shinigami hurling towards her, obviously thrown by someone else. She merely raised an eyebrow and a slender finger, stopping the body in front of her. It slumped down at her feet. Observing the brawl around her with mild interest, trying to figure out what was happening. One of the first things she noticed was that Zaraki-taicho wasn't there. It was only some idiots fighting, such a change. Deep inside her soul, Keiko felt with dread a small spiteful voice:

"C'mon, join in! You know you want to Keiko… You can't control me forever."

The woman cringed and shook her head. Concentrating on the useless struggle, she decided she would end it now. She raised her spiritual pressure a notch, making the air thick with anticipation.

It stopped the fight easily, making most bow under it. This almost brought a smirk to her lips; it was but a fraction of what she could do.

"4th seat Shinkokuna, we apologize!" They all cowered in fear. Her intransigence was well known. Her voice was barely above a whisper, calm and posed, but all heard her perfectly.

"What happened here? I thought we had gone over this fighting question already. Now where is Zaraki-taicho?"

They all blundered over words, explaining all at the same time something about ryoka invading the Seireitei and Zaraki looking for the most powerful of them all.

Keiko sighed. This was so like her captain, she wasn't even surprised anymore. But with Yachiru and his fabulous sense of orientation, she could probably catch up to them before too much damage happened. She snapped out of her thoughts, giving quick orders to dispatch the fight happy squad in the invaded zone.


	2. Chapter 2

She merely raised an eyebrow and a slender finger, stopping the body in front of her. It slumped down at her feet. Observing the brawl around her with mild interest, trying to figure out what was happening. One of the first things she noticed was that Zaraki-taicho wasn't there. It was only some idiots fighting, such a change. Deep inside her soul, Keiko felt with dread a small spiteful voice:

"C'mon, join in! You know you want to Keiko… You can't control me forever."

The woman cringed and shook her head. Concentrating on the useless struggle, she decided she would end it now. She raised her spiritual pressure a notch, making the air thick with anticipation.

It stopped the fight easily, making most bow under it. This almost brought a smirk to her lips; it was but a fraction of what she could do.

"4th seat Shinkokuna, we apologize!" They all cowered in fear. Her intransigence was well known. Her voice was barely above a whisper, calm and posed, but all heard her perfectly.

"What happened here? I thought we had gone over this fighting problem already. Now where is Zaraki-taicho?"

They all blundered over words, explaining all at the same time something about ryoka invading the Seireitei and Zaraki looking for the most powerful of them all.

Keiko sighed. This was so like her captain, she wasn't even surprised anymore. But with Yachiru and his fabulous sense of orientation, she could probably catch up to them before too much damage happened. She snapped out of her thoughts, giving quick orders to dispatch the fight happy squad in the invaded zone.

She then headed out herself, trying to pinpoint the location of her brash taicho. She wouldn't let him get hurt. Finally her hand gripped the correct spirit ribbon. She flash stepped there, following it. Just as she reached the building the peppy lieutenant was lounging on, she saw him removing his eye-patch and felt a spike in his spiritual pressure. She trembled slightly; this meant the opponent was worthy. She scrutinized the ryoka's face, recording it to memory.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."She murmured to herself. "Be careful Zaraki." Somehow, he heard what she said and laughed. "Loosen up Keiko! You're too serious." She smiled wistfully. Her onii-san was always so care-free, just lusting for a fight…. He didn't recognize her though, didn't remember anything of her. It almost brought tears to her eyes. She kept up her frozen façade, trying to keep herself whole, so she wouldn't disturb them.

Keiko watched, racked with anxiety as the fight raged on. Even Yachiru, usually an energizer bunny, was silent, sensing something was amiss. At that moment, Kenpachi struck him down, and turned to leave. Keiko could sense his disappointment. However, she didn't move from her watch post, keeping Yachiru from leaping down to her taicho's shoulder. Something wasn't right. She sensed a massive rise in reiatsu, almost bringing her to her knees in surprise. Lurching to the edge of the building, she stared down in shock at Ichigo, who had miraculously stood up, raising his zanpakutou again.

"Zaraki-taicho!" she shrieked. Her onii-san couldn't die! He turned and grinned, looking more like a maniac than ever. "Ah, finally! You took long enough ryoka. And Keiko, I can take care of myself. Thanks." He lunged forward, laughing at the perspective of the fun he would get.

She smiled a fraction, but quickly, her face regained a troubled expression. She gripped the edge of the roof tightly, the material crumbling like sand under the pressure. They had just lunged at each other in an end all move. She scanned the zone furiously, trying to see who had fallen. As the dust settled, she finally distinguished two bodies, fallen on the ground. She leaped from her spot, and rushed to her brother.

"NO! Kenpachi! Wake up! You told me not to worry…." She tried to concentrate her kido in her hands and started fist aid treatment, pale green light emitting from her palms. Suddenly, she heard an intruder arriving to the scene. Glancing up, she observed the tanned purple head woman that had just appeared at Ichigo's side. A name popped up in her mind. "Yoruichi Shihoin." The flash goddess raised her head to consider the 4th seat with curiosity. "Yes?"

"Ichigo shall answer for attacking my taicho."

"I think not. Keiko Shinkokuna was it? Be careful. You won't be able to control it much longer." She disappeared.

Keiko gasped. She felt her heart speed up in shock and pure fear as she started to panic. How could the woman know about her best-kept secret? She had never told a soul about the hollow inside her, always fighting for dominance. She had kept it under control until now… Yoruichi's words scared her to the core. The snide voice echoed in her mind: "Well she is right. You won't win for much longer dear!" She gasped. No! She couldn't lose control. She wouldn't lose control. Make her resolve stronger, she caught Kenpachi under his arms and hauled him up. She flash-stepped to the 4th squad barracks, where she collapsed, completely drained.

When she came to, Keiko was on somebody's shoulder. She could hear another person, cheerfully giggling near her. Something prodded her stomach impatiently. She winced and opened her eyes gingerly. When she realized exactly where she was, she couldn't help but gasp in embarrassment. Kenpachi was carrying her like a sack. A heavy one, in her case. She blushed furiously, wriggling around, trying to escape from his vice-like hold. In vain. He glanced at her, finally noticing she was awake. His look made it clear that resistance was futile. She looked down, feeling slightly humiliated. Her gaze was drawn down to his chest, just in her line of sight. He was bandaged, reminding her of that vicious battle. She growled, angered by this. A maniac giggling made her come back to her senses, as her "inner host" tried to use her feeling to its advantage, rejoicing in her lack of control. Trying to stay analytic, she asked Kenpachi:

"What's going on? Shouldn't you be in the infirmary Taicho?"

He smirked: "Yeah right. I don't need those weaklings. I'm perfectly fine!"

She sighed at his stubbornness. He was never going to accept help was he? "So where exactly are we going now Taicho?"

Yachiru finally spoke up. Keiko had been surprised she had actually managed to stay silent so long. "We're going to get the ryoka to the big hill! That way, Kenny can fight Icchi again and have fun!"

The 4th seat was stunned into silence by this rebellious declaration. Maybe Ichigo wasn't so bad… He made her onii-san happy, that was all that counted for her. "We're really going against the Gotei 13?" she checked to make sure she had heard correctly. "Yeah" was her only answer. "Ok then, I'm in too." She was slightly worried about the sanity of their enterprise, but she would always side with her brother. Her allegiance was to him first. Besides, Keiko just couldn't understand why they would execute Rukia Kuchiki for such a petty crime. The girl was as much a stickler for the rules and protocol, as much as her, if that meant anything anymore… She just felt something was wrong with Central 46, they were even worse than usual.

She was jolted from her thoughts when Kenpachi stopped abruptly in front of some barracks. His rough voice sounded: "We're here." The purple-black haired girl jumped down blithely, checking for her zanpakutou.

"Let's go then Taicho. Get them out."

He grinned maniacally as he jumped through the roof and into a cell. The red headed girl called Orihime Inoue gasped as the dust settled. The other boys put up a defensive stance, attempting to protect themselves against the crazy captain. Keiko entered daintily, keeping her well reknown calm façade.

"Taicho, you could have gone in through the door you know… It would be more discreet." He merely rolled his eyes. She turned to face the ryoka. "Follow us. We're going to help you."

Wary, they followed her out, with Zaraki closing the group. Keiko was amused by their obvious fear of her onii-san. They kept glancing over their shoulders at the savage looking man. Yachiru sat on his shoulder, keeping up a non –ending stream of nonsense, not even making sense at some points. It made a weird back-ground music.

As they walked, Orihime walked up to her silently.

"Are you related to the man you called Taicho?" she enquired curiously.

Keiko looked at her in shock. "Please quiet about this or I will have to come after you personally."

The girl opened her mouth to gasp but wisely decided to stay silent. The other smiled angelically, and continued to lead the way. They were passing on a large roof when she stopped abruptly. Someone was there. Kenpachi saw her eyes flash over the area, trying to find the opponents. He smiled uncharacteristically, almost soft for an instant, proud of her senses. He blinked, surprised at himself. This was weird. He shouted out:

"Hey come on out you cowards! Don't just wait there!"

Keiko rolled her eyes. Her onii-san was always one to pick a fight. Acting quickly, she turned to face the ryoka.

"Two captains are coming, Taicho and I will take care of them, no objections allowed. Go NOW! Take Yachiru with you please, Taicho needs to concentrate so he can have a good time. Arigato gozamaisu."

They opened their mouths to protest anyways but she didn't waste any time, sending them away with a weak kido spell (weak for her at least, their backsides hurt for weeks after that). She then turned back towards her onii-san and the two intruders.

"Hello tosen-taicho, Komamura-taicho. Good to see you here."

For them, her voice was filled with humble respect. Only Kenpachi sensed the ironic undertone to her voice.

"You allied yourself with the ryoka. You are now traitors, enemies to justice. You must be taken down. It is too bad 4th seat Shinkokuna, I had high hopes for you." Tosen declared.

"Yes, tis a pity isn't it?" She smiled peacefully, even though the irony was clear this time.

Zaraki barked a laugh. "Well, let's start this fight already!"

Keiko leaped nimbly towards her opponent, the obnoxious justice love Taicho of squad 9. She unsheathed her zanpakuto **Yoru **Sutōkā and struck his.

Tosen wasn't expecting much from this girl; after all, she was merely a lowly 4th seat in a weak physical squad. The concerned girl almost smirked and increased the pressure on his sword, almost making his buckle. He was stunned that she could hold her own against him, let alone fight back.

Furious of her resistance, even though the fight had barely started, he released his bankai. Immediately, a black dome surged out of the tip of his zanpakuto, blocking out everything around them, and taking out her senses. She froze, analyzing the situation, trying to understand what was going on.

"So this is your renowned bankai I presume? Keiko listened attentively to the way her voice echoed. There was nothing to help her in this zone. It was all his. She sighed, realizing she had no choice.

"Bankai! Hiroimono ken shou Yoru Sutōkā Kuīn! A purple dome emerged from the tip of her sword, seeming similar to tosens'. It overcame the dark one, shattering it to pieces and taking its place. Her sword had changed during that time, becoming a large curved blade, ressembling a pirates, or robbers. Her clothes had changed too: she now wore a hood that covered her head partially, slim fitting pants like the stealth corps and a large fitting shirt that hid an armor. All those were in purple and black tones.

"Now then, let's finish this. I don't like to fight." Her voice was resonating with pure power.

Even though he couldn't see her, Tosen felt the changes, as well as the destruction of his dome. For the first time, he felt fear. The plan wouldn't work if he was gone, so he would be saved by them. He would!

Keiko watched with mild interest as his face discomposed slowly. It was weird to see how the Taicho could become so cowardly when he was faced with possible death. She got bored with analyzing him and raised her sword. She stalked towards him slowly, and suddenly, flash-stepped till he couldn't even sense her anymore. Her zanpakuto pierced him precisely, so quickly he didn't even feel it at first. The Taicho's body crumpled to the ground and as he left consciousness, one thought was on his mind:

'They didn't come. I was betrayed. I was wrong.'

Keiko took out her zanpakuto from the neat wound and cleaned it as it resealed itself. She had killed to destroy his soul chain and his soul sleep, not to kill. It would have been against her principles, but most of all, it would have given leverage to her hollow. It had gained enough power as it was with her using her bankai. The dome she had created turned into a swirling river and sailed back into her zanpakuto.

She turned towards Kenpachi's reiatsu, her usual shinigami uniform swishing against her ankles. Unsurprisingly, he had struck Komamura-taicho down too.

"I'm done. We need to advance Taicho, or Rukia will get executed even before we get a chance to do anything."

"Yeah, let's go. By the way, good job on kicking Tosen's ass. I was almost worried for ya."

"There was no need to worry about me Taicho! But thank you…" she blushed deeply. "Though with Tosen, something was wrong. He was expecting something, like reinforcements… And not Komamura. There's something I'm missing!"

"Don't worry yourself Keiko; it doesn't matter, as long as we get a fight out of it!"

She smiled at her onii-san's war like attitude as they unknowingly advanced into the end of it all, a would-be catastrophe.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Hehe, I'm kinda dumb with this thing, since it's the first time I actually figured out how it worked... Dumb me xD

Anyways, here's the last part for the story, before the epilogue. I know the formating is different, but I couldn't bear to make such short chapters... So instead, it's a longer four part story!

And here's something I keep forgetting:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, it belongs to Tite Kubo. (wish I did though...) However, Keiko Shinkokuna and Ikeko, her favorite hollow are mine, all mine :"3

As they reached the base of the Sokyoku Hill, they felt the other captains arriving.

"Hurry up Taicho, or we're going to be too late!"

"Well Keiko, you have something for Ichigo, wanting to help him so badly?" Zaraki smirked at his subordinate turned beet-red in annoyance. He felt like himself near her and liked to tease her.

"I DO NOT like him! You ordered to help the ryoka so I follow your orders. That's it! Besides, I really feel bad for Rukia…" She mumbled, embarrassed by his assumptions. "So can we move please?" She turned towards where he was, only to realize he was already moving upwards.

"Well, what are you waiting for, slowpoke?" He yelled back at her.

"Cheater Taicho! That's not fair!" She flash stepped to attempt to catch up with him, smiling the whole way. He brought out the happy girl she used to be. This brief moment was shattered by a piercing giggle in her mind. She staggered to a stop, and her knees buckled. It felt like her head was splitting open.

"Leave me alone! Not now! Please not now! I have to help Taicho!" She shrieked, her voice already turning hollow, with an eerie echo behind it.

Kenpachi had been advancing steadily when he heard her cry out in pain. Her saw her iris turn gold and her sclera go ebony black and understood something was wrong, something concerning hollows. Feeling angry and helpless, he shook her by the shoulders, trying to bring her back to reality. Stuck in her inner-world, she felt him calling to her and fought back harder. She needed to be there for her Taicho.

Kenpachi saw her eyes clear, returning to their usual sky-blue. She blinked when she saw him crouched in front of her.

"Taicho, I'm so sorry! I'm wasting time…" She was interrupted by his deep bass.

"Don't apologize you idiot! This isn't your fault." He took her in his arms and held her tightly. "I was actually worried Keiko!" She froze in shock, startled by his sudden affection. Was he remembering her? It was so unlike the Taicho she knew, but so much like her onii-san… She felt tears well up in her eyes and tried her hardest to get rid of them.

Her feet left the ground as he placed her on his shoulder and started running. Feeling her confusion, he commented:

"We'll get there faster to save your friend."

"Thank you Taicho, thank you."

Both felt the understatement in her declaration. They progressed in silence till the top, just in time to see Ichigo block the bird of fire. Keiko leaped from her onii-san's shoulder and onto the rough barren hill. Something was amiss again. She looked around the grounds and was the first to notice the hell butterflies fluttering around them. Fukutaicho Isane's voice rang out clearly, announcing the demise of Central 46, Aizen's and Gin's betrayal and their final goal, the hogyoku. A light bulb lit up in Keiko's brain. She had noticed Tosen had seemed to be waiting for someone, like a savior. It had been them! He had been in league with them. Well at least she had eliminated one of the traitors, even though it was an accident, sort of. As soon as she had come to that conclusion, chaos happened:The taichos couldn't understand how aizen could betray them. Needless to say, kenpachi didn't care very much. For him, this was just a good occasion to get another fight.

Keiko's attention was attracted by a strange whistling sound that was coming closer. She gasped in shock and yelled:  
"Ichigo get out of there fast! They're coming soon; Gin's fighting someone!"  
She had identified the sound of Gin's shikai, being the only one concentrated enough to hear it. Ichigo wasted no time and handed Rukia over to Renji, with orders to keep her safe. Keiko groaned in her mind. Renji was weaker than Ichigo; she should have stayed with the strongest, since she was what they were after.  
"Taicho, I'm going to assist Renji Abarai. May I go?"  
"Since when do you need my permission Keiko? Get your ass over there and keep her safe since it's what you want to do. But keep yourself safe too. Ok?"  
"Don't worry Taicho, I'll be just fine. Thanks!"  
She flash stepped to Renji's side and stopped neatly near them. He jumped in surprise: he hadn't heard her arrive.  
"You should be more careful, I could have been the enemy."  
"How are you going to help me? You're only a fourth seat!"  
"I defeated Tosen-taicho. Is that enough for you?"  
Renji shut his mouth promptly.  
And then, all hell broke loose.  
Aizen and Gin had arrived.  
Keiko smiled grimly; this was the time to test her real strength. Tosen had obviously been the weakest element of their group. She was going to need her bankai again. But the question that troubled her was: would she be able to keep control over her hollow?  
She felt Rukia's fear for her friends from behind her, and Renji's determination to keep her safe. It was cute to see a burgeoning love, even though that same love would put them in danger of death. She vowed in her heart to keep them safe, for it was her role. She didn't want other people to be hurt like she had been.  
She looked one last time at her onii-san, just to get as much courage from him as possible. Then, Aizen appeared in front of their little group.  
"Hand Rukia Kuchiki over now and I swear I won't hurt you." He declared with a hypocritical smile.  
Keiko scowled. She now remembered why she had always hated that man so much.  
"Not if I can help it. You won't get further Aizen."  
"Now that's very presumptuous of you Keiko Shinkokuna. You seem to take on many characteristics of your -"  
"Shut. Up. Now." Her voice was harsh. How could this traitor know about her deepest secret? She couldn't allow him to talk anymore; he could let out her second one.  
"Bankai! Hiroimono ken shou Yoru Sutōkā Kuīn!  
The purple dome formed around them, creating a prison that isolated them from the rest of the shinigami on the hill. Rukia and Renji were also shut out, to her relief and his slight annoyance. Her sword had become a pirate's cutlass again, with that purple line pulsing at the same rhythm as her heart, beating out a slow, hypnotizing song. Her clothes had changed too, the hood covering her eyes keeping him from seeing the fight-happy twinkle in them. She kept that part of her personality under control most of the time, cause it gave power to her inner "problem", but she was going to need every part of her strength to beat the monster that had stabbed Hinamori-fukutaicho and Hitsugaya-taicho.  
"You will fall here, traitor."  
She lunged at him with fury, aiming for his heart from the start, showing her determination. He avoided her at the last second, surprised by her power. He had underestimated her. When she had been fighting against Tosen, it had been only a fraction of her power that she had used... He should have sent Gin to stop her. That way, he would have gotten a better estimate of her strength. He slashed at her, resulting in her nimbly jumping away to avoid the blow. She lashed out against him with a volley of hits aiming in various directions, hoping to catch a hole in his defense. There was none. He caught her zanpakuto neatly and applied pressure on her trying to bring her down. She didn't yield an inch but the ground under her caved and she sunk into the rock. Realizing her 5'4" definitely weren't to her advantage, she pushed back with all her power, causing Aizen to stagger back slightly. His eyes widened in surprise. This girl was much stronger than Tosen or Gin, if she released all her power. How come no one ever realized that? He hadn't ever felt she was a danger, so she must be an expert at sensing her reiatsu. She could almost be a rival for him. He narrowed his eyes in distaste. It went against all his plans.

She grinned maniacally, showing an uncanny resemblance to her onii-san in this. He narrowed his eyes. If she was that much like her crazy onii-san, then maybe she had the same reiatsu problem. That could be a foiler in his plans. He looked at anything that could be a reiatsu eater and immediately advised her necklace. That could become a humungous nuisance if it came loose. Damn that woman with her secrets.  
All his thoughts happened in a few seconds, as he met her sword again. Keiko caught his gaze on her necklace, bringing it back to her attention. She had worn that limiter so long she had almost forgotten its presence. As she flash-stepped around Aizen, trying to confuse him, she debated whether to remove it or not. If she got rid of it, it could be a good asset for her to make a sudden turn around in the fight. The main problem was her hollow. Giving herself more power was also giving it more force to work with. It was a double faced weapon. And she couldn't afford to lose this battle, she had promised her onii-san to return.  
Seeing Aizen coming back to the charge, swinging his sword in a wide axe, she took quick action.

She took off her necklace in one swift movement, letting it fall to the ground. As soon as it was off her, her reiatsu swirled upwards, nourishing her powers with its purple light. It was a good thing nobody could see her, because they would have made the link with her onii-san in an instant.

"Now Aizen, let's finish this!"

Keiko knew she didn't have long; her hollow was just feeding on her energy. Already, she could feel it gaining ground.

"Yoru Sutōkā, help me just a bit more!"

She lunged towards him, swinging her sword in a wide arc. The purple band glowed intensely, and reiatsu swirled out, nourishing it. Aizen wasn't expecting such an outburst of power from the petite woman and got hit squarely in the chest. It was the first major injury of the battle.

Seeing his outrage, Keiko used the moment to use her best attack:

« Sumire no denka ! bala ! »

Aizen's eyes widened when he heard the last term. It was an Arrancar attack! How could she possess it? Her sword pulsed brightly as violet orbs formed around it. She grinned in anticipation, knowing it would be over soon. She opened her mouth to shout the release command, and then:

She lost control.

Inside her inner world –black with neon purple cubes- her hollow had waited for ages. Ikeko, as she called herself, wasn't very patient, but she knew that her occasion had to come soon. She had seen the combat against Tosen and knew more was to come. She had tested the boundaries that Keiko had placed when her host had been relaxed, thinking she'd have less control but her stupid "onii-san" had kept her from staying in the front seat for long. But now, now was the perfect occasion. Everything was in her favor: bankai, no necklace, but most of all, that attack. Little did Keiko know, but that was indeed an arrancar attack, designed by Ikeko herself. Now was her chance. Ikeko started to fight.

Outside of the dome, no one knew what was going on. Gin had been subdued by all the Taichos AND Ichigo plus all available fukutaichos. He hadn't stood a chance. Now, he was waiting for the outcome of that fight, shackled in reiatsu-removing hand-cuffs, leaving him powerless. Aizen was on his own now, not that it bothered him much. That way, Rangiku wouldn't have to cry. It was better. Renji had taken Rukia to safety on Ichigo's orders. Rukia hadn't wanted to leave the guy she was starting to fall for, but both had decided it was for the best. That way, Aizen's plans would be foiled. Everyone had an eye on the dome, all worried about the outcome of that crucial battle. At that moment, the dome turned grey. Something was wrong. They all prepared to fight.

Keiko lost control. Her eyes turned black and gold, as her voice gained an echo. A whitish substance spewed out of her mouth, forming a dainty white mask, like a Venetian one, hiding only the eyes, with purple and black markings around them. Ikeko laughed wildly, crazed with the feeling of total control. She flexed her fingers around her zanpakuto and turned to face Aizen. Who had disappeared.

Something sharp pierced through her. He had gotten her. The pain hit her and she screamed her pain, the Hollow voice piercing Aizen's ears. Using that chance, she gathered her final forces and drove her sword clearly through his head. He dropped dead immediately, eyes opened in shock at his unplanned defeat. When he fell, his sword was wrenched from her abdomen, causing her to scream in renewed agony. Ikeko hadn't planned all this pain, and her weakness allowed Keiko to regain control.

The dome swirled back to her sword as she returned to normal. She hid the pain as well as she could, not wanting to spoil the victory. Keiko walked to them calmly, smiling a smidgeon. Kenpachi rushed to her, and like a shark, sensed the blood dripping off her instantly.

"Unohana! Get over here! She's wounded!" He roared, scared for her. To Keiko he muttered: "Didn't I tell you to stay safe?"

"I failed… It's no use to get her you know… I'm condemned, it's too late. Sorry onii-san…" She whispered haltingly, her voice breaking over the last words, revealing her secret to the world. Satisfied, she exhaled one last time, and expired. Her eyes turned dull as her soul left her body.

Kenpachi was frozen in shock by her words, memories rushing back to him like a flood. When he felt her departing, he just broke down, solitary tears in his eyes. Everyone watched, not knowing how to behave. Unohana sighed, and murmured.

"Keiko Shinkokuna, 4th seat of the 11th squad, deceased saving the Soul Society. Rest in peace."

Zaraki heard this and growled:

"She was my only sister, so she has my name. Use it!"

All the spectators were shocked by his declaration but Unohana merely smiled and rectified her mistake:

"Keiko Zaraki, thank you for everything."

END

Hope you liked it! The epilogue is next!

PS. He doesn't say onee-san or onee-chan cause that would be just too weird for Zaraki. So I went for the English term...


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach (sadly enough) Tite Kubo does! But I think y'all knew that..

Epilogue:

It was a late afternoon and all was quiet in Soul Society. There had been no alerts since Aizen's defeat and the shinigami were finally starting to relax a bit. The Gotei 13 had been on maximum alert, wary that any other enemy might use their weakness to strike.

No one noticed the Senkaimon that opened in the Kuchiki manor, nor the slim shadow that slipped out. It smiled at the calm around it, and the lack of personal, muttering a quick thanks to Rukia. The mysterious person slipped through a back door conveniently left ajar and into the maze that composed the Seireitei. Weaving through the streets expertly, it became obvious that this shadow knew where it was going, not like the ryoka from 16 years ago. It passed by the 4th squad barracks, leaving something that resembled suspiciously a thank you note. Then, the person continued its travel towards the unknown final destination. A series of flawless flash-steps were executed, showing that he/she was with no doubt a shinigami. Leaping over the walls of the 11th squad barracks with ease, the intruder looked around, checking for any people on guard. The barracks, however, where empty, since the men had probably already left to go drink the night away. The silence also hinted that the devilish fukutaicho was also out. The black-clad person smirked as he/she remembered the pink hair seen at the Kuchiki manor. Byakuya was going to lose some koi fish… He/she passed the fourth seat's quarters and took a peek inside. It was just like when she had last left it, only with a lot more dust though Keiko, smiling lightly to herself. It was nice to be back in Soul Society.

She glided through the corridor to the Taicho's office, but went in through the back door, unnoticed by the giant who was drowning in paper work. She looked into a pile serenely, but gasped in shock when she saw how he had butchered it.

Zaraki looked up and promptly held his zanpakuto to the neck of the intruder, not bothering to identify who it was first. She grimaced at him and whined:

"Onii-san, what the heck did you do to my paper work? It's a massacre!"

He let his sword drop to the floor and pulled her into a bear hug. Smiling into his shoulder, Keiko murmured:

"It's good to be back onii-san, really good."

She was no longer Keiko Shinkokuna, serious, emotionless woman hell-bent on calm and paperwork; she was Keiko Zaraki, the girl who could finally let her feelings show.

And it's ... OVER! xD Hope you liked it!

Did you notice how I kinda brought back the title at the end? I like to do that, even though it's not obvious this time... I chose the title kinda randomly, but it stuck well.

Next up is a new Grimmjow story! I just LOVE him xD


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